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A ski resort worker has been left critically injured after being dragged from a chairlift by a gust of wind that left him dangling by his jacket before it tore and he fell nearly 30 feet onto hard concrete below.
Mattia Baronio, 32, was travelling down the mountain after finishing work when a sudden gust of wind lifted a protective net that snagged his boot and pulled him from the chair, in the ski resort of Piancavallo, in the Italian province of Pordenone, on 24th December.
Mattia was employed at a mountain hut restaurant located at an altitude of about 5,249 feet (1,600 metres) and had just ended his shift when the incident happened.
A strong gust of wind reportedly lifted the safety net beneath the lift and caused it to become tangled around his ankle as the chairlift continued moving.
He was dragged beneath the safety bar and slid out of the chair before being left hanging from a cable for several seconds.
His grip then gave way and he fell around eight metres (26 feet), striking the concrete base of a support pillar.
A still image shows the man suspended in mid air moments before the fall.
Witnesses say that his injuries were made worse because it had no snowed for a while, which otherwise might have helped cushion his fall.
Mattia was evacuated downhill by toboggan, transferred by ambulance and later airlifted to hospital in Udine.
Doctors reported he suffered serious injuries to his chest, pelvis and lower limbs.
He has been sedated and intubated and has already undergone one surgical operation, with a second procedure planned.
His prognosis remains reserved but he is not currently considered to be in danger of death.
The police have launched an investigation to establish the exact sequence of events and to assess any potential responsibility linked to the safety measures of the lift.
The chairlift was shut down for several hours to allow technical inspections and the recovery of the damaged safety net.
Investigators are also examining the role of the wind gust that reportedly caused the net to lift and entangle his boot.
(Joe Golder/Newsflash)
Byline Journalist: Joseph Golder
Byline Sub editor: Joseph Golder
Byline Spotter: Ivica Stojanovski
Byline Commisioning Editor: Mike Leidig
Byline Senior Writer: Joseph Golder
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Copychecker: Angela Trajkovska
Byline Illustrator: Angela Trajkovska
Byline News Editor: Simona Kitanovska
Geography: Piancavallo
Subject: Accidents, Accidents Involving People, Air Accidents
T4 Editor Story Rating: 8
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 7
T4 Total rating: 7.5
